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Program
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Opening Plenary: What Might we Expect on Energy Efficiency from the New Administration and Congress
ACEEE’s Executive Director, Steve Nadel, led a discussion focused on the big picture of what the next two years held for energy efficiency policy at the federal level. Our panelists drew on their years of experience working with past presidential administrations and congresses, and their ongoing work representing important stakeholders, to share insights into the transition and what came next.
Keynote
Jeff Marootian leads the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy as principal deputy assistant secretary, where he is in charge of a $3.2 billion portfolio of research and deployment programs. He previously served as senior advisor to Energy Secretary Granholm, special assistant in the Biden-Harris White House, director of the D.C. District Department of Transportation, and an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Session 1 | Equitable and Efficient Housing
Panelists discussed their successes and challenges in implementing new building efficiency programs, how programs could be improved, and energy efficiency’s role in alleviating rising household costs.
Christine Guhl-Sadovy is the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), where she leads the New Jersey state agency with authority to oversee the state's regulated utilities, including electricity, water, natural gas, and telecommunications. Christine had been appointed to her role by Governor Phil Murphy in 2023, and prior to her nomination, she served as cabinet secretary in the Governor's senior staff. She shared her perspective on how states were aligning utility and federal resources to accelerate housing upgrades.
Charlie Harak is a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, specializing in energy and utilities issues. He discussed the importance of defending critical federal efficiency programs with our Equitable and Efficient Housing panel, drawing on his significant work on federal appliance efficiency standards and advocacy for energy efficiency investments in affordable multifamily housing. Click here for more information on Charlie's presentation.
John Moon is president of LISC Green LLC, the implementing entity for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s funding from the federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). John provided his perspective on the opportunities and challenges for prioritizing affordable housing with the implementation of federal funding on the Equitable and Efficient Housing panel.
Rose Stephens-Booker is the Managing Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC), where she oversees the organization’s programs and strategic collaborations with market leaders, policymakers, and consumer-focused campaigns to accelerate the transition to clean energy in homes and buildings. Previously, Rose served as BDC’s Director of State Mobilization, launching and scaling a team dedicated to driving state-level decarbonization efforts. Rose will be moderating the housing session.
Session 2 | Industrial Competitiveness and Adequate Power Panel
Panelists examined the needs of industrial firms as they sought to transform their operations to reduce energy costs and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels and carbon-intensive processes. We examined how the federal government could facilitate or hinder this transition.
Dean Frank reviewed technology-neutral policies that supported innovation in both the production and use of building materials. He discussed collaboration across the value chain to increase resilience while reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.
Sharon Nolen is the Global Natural Resources Manager and an Eastman Fellow for Eastman Chemical Company, as well as the Chair of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee. Sharon shared insights into Eastman’s experience as a recipient of OCED’s Industrial Demonstration Program Awards and a leader in decarbonization in the chemical sector.
Jeff Smith is the Director of Energy Efficiency for Southern Company, where he leads regulatory strategy, DSM program design, EM&V, and pilot and innovation efforts for multiple electric operating companies across the Southern Company footprint, serving 9 million customers across six states. Jeff spoke to load growth and its challenges and addressed the collaboration needed between companies, utilities, state development agencies, local jurisdictions, and the federal government.
Neal Elliott is Director Emeritus of ACEEE’s research programs and an internationally recognized expert and author on energy efficiency programs and policies, industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization, and clean distributed energy and thermal storage. Neal discussed how federal industrial policy was advancing and identified opportunities for the next Congress and administration to build on the last four years of investment.
Session 3 | Transportation Reauthorization
Shifting Gears: Navigating Federal Transportation Funding and Priorities in a Changing Landscape
At this time, federal and state leaders had been navigating an uncertain transportation policy landscape. This panel examined the outlook for transportation policies and programs initiated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act under a new administration. Panelists shared insights on what to expect in the coming year, including impacts to vehicle efficiency standards, the implications for the next Transportation Bill (up for reauthorization in 2026), and opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and strategic alignment.
Representative Sean Casten (IL-6) is vice ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and a leader in clean energy policy solutions in Congress and has dedicated his life to fighting climate change. He began his career as a scientist, clean energy entrepreneur, and CEO, and now represents the western suburbs of Chicago. Mr. Casten discussed his work on legislation to improve electric vehicle efficiency.
Joung Lee is director of policy and government relations for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He shared the perspective of state transportation agencies on transportation reauthorization and provided insights about what states were hoping the 119th Congress would prioritize in the next round of this important legislation. Click here to view Joung's presentation.
Rachel Aland, ACEEE's Transportation Director, oversees research and policy development aimed at making freight and passenger transportation systems more efficient and sustainable. Following historic levels of transportation investment in recent years, she reflected on the current state of the sector, shared insights into what could lie ahead, and highlighted key opportunities for progress. Click here to view Rachel's presentation.